William Hung ahead of Gokey, Iraheta, but especially ahead of Diana Degarmo? She's had a decent career for several years now. Wow. And Elliott Yamin after all those people? He's had a few CDs out, also a few hits that were played on the radio, etc.

I can't understand Jordan Spark's position on either list. I have never heard her on the radio...I thought all her CDs bombed.

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What? Tattoo, No Air, One Step at A Time, Battlefield...all hit the Top 10 on pop radio airplay. Kelly is the only Idol that has more. And her combined single downloads is something like 9 million. Her first album went platinum. Her second album did bomb, though. But she had a VERY successful debut album. Plus, she toured with the Jonas Brothers and Britney Spears this year. That's alot of $$$$.

What did Clay Aiken do last year to earn him money? I haven't heard anything about him in quite some time.

It's not a surprise that Kellie Pickler is earning a lot of money. She does a lot of touring and she's doing country. Country sells much better than most other genres, where people are more likely to illegally download. Plus, country radio is good to Idols.

I think Casey James will be able to do quite well for himself if he does country cross-over.

What did Clay Aiken do last year to earn him money? I haven't heard anything about him in quite some time.

It's not a surprise that Kellie Pickler is earning a lot of money. She does a lot of touring and she's doing country. Country sells much better than most other genres, where people are more likely to illegally download. Plus, country radio is good to Idols.

I think Casey James will be able to do quite well for himself if he does country cross-over.

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Hasn't he been on Broadway for a couple of years in Spamalot? I think it's closed now though.

You're gay, how can you even find it funny? Besides, it's a 5-year-old kid's insult. Are you going to make a funny now using Kelly's name and the word fat? I'm laughing already.

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Get over yourself, for chrissakes!

Not that you deserve any explanation, but ... "the Gaiken" is a term of endearment Kathy Griffin used in her stand-up a couple of years back. I like Clay, for the record, and I believe that he's a good role model.

I also like Pickler, and will admit to liking a couple of her songs. Do you object to me caling her The Pickle, here on this private forum?

We use a lot of terms here that we'd never used in a blog or what-not. The Gaiken is one of those for me, but that's because I don't know him personally nor do I have an endearing gay public like the ultimate FH Griffin. I don't find it offensive when someone like Kathy using "the Gaiken", gently, in her act. And neither did Clay.

ETA: Yes, I'm gay (thanks for pointing that out, whew, what a relief!) Along the same lines of The Gaiken, et al, my gay friends and personal FHs may call me "girl" or what-not all they want. But it'd be offensive (and pretty off-base, lol) for someone else to use it.

Billboard's list is interesting cause it does include some of the contestants from the pre-digital era who benefited from higher physical CD sales in the early part of the 2000s (William Hung, Josh Gracin).

Kellie Pickler is actually currently opening for Taylor Swift - that can only help her rank highly in 2010 as well.

The Gaiken is one of those for me, but that's because I don't know him personally nor do I have an endearing gay public like the ultimate FH Griffin. I don't find it offensive when someone like Kathy using "the Gaiken", gently, in her act. And neither did Clay

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Yeah. I'd like to be a mouse in the corner when Clay explains to his little boy that people call him "the Gaiken" because they like him. It's a term of endearment right up there with faggy. None of his fans, friends or family use the Gaiken. It's icky.

Although, on the other hand, Clay has made it very clear to his fans (but to no avail, they still go ballistic), that he has faced that sort of mocking his entire life and is a good place with it, and doesn't need defending.

Clay's earnings since he finished his run on Spamalot can only be guessed at, so I don't know where Forbes got the number. He has a PBS special that will be airing on some stations (starting in Chicago), and a new CD coming out on Decca records. He'll be on GMA and The View next week.

We don't. But does anyone seriously think that any of his friends and family would use this term? Or use it nicely? Kathy Griffin was using this term mockingly before he came out. I seriously doubt that anyone has ever used the term "the Gaiken" to refer to Clay Aiken other than to mock and insult.

Okay, I'll rephrase. I'm a fan of his and have read almost everything ever publicly written or spoken about him, or relayed in a conversation to another fan- and none of his fans, friends or family have ever used "The Gaiken."

No, you get over yourself. Why do you have to be such a drama queen every time someone challenges something you wrote?

Not that you deserve any explanation, but ...

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Another mature comment, I see.

"the Gaiken" is a term of endearment Kathy Griffin used in her stand-up a couple of years back.

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I know where it came from. It still doesn't make it right. A term of endearment, now that's funny. It just tells me that you copycat something without thinking for yourself how offensive it can be. Or how hurtful. Not to mention ignorant. And that's sad because you're gay, too. If you had a son and kids at his school did it to him, would that seem OK to you?

I also like Pickler, and will admit to liking a couple of her songs. Do you object to me caling her The Pickle, here on this private forum?

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You really don't see a difference between that and using someone's sexual orientation to make a joke out of their name, do you?

I don't find it offensive when someone like Kathy using "the Gaiken", gently, in her act. And neither did Clay.

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Yes, he did.

For some unexplainable reason you seem to have put Kathy Griffin on some kind of pedestal. She's human, she makes mistakes. She can be pretty mean-spirited, too. And just because she's a comedian you don't have to laugh at everything she says. Or parrot it.

ETA: Yes, I'm gay (thanks for pointing that out, whew, what a relief!) Along the same lines of The Gaiken, et al, my gay friends and personal FHs may call me "girl" or what-not all they want. But it'd be offensive (and pretty off-base, lol) for someone else to use it.

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But you said you don't know Clay, so wouldn't calling him Gaiken be offensive according to your own definition? (never mind, it's a rhetorical question)

Btw, I used to think describing another woman as a bitch was pretty innocuous or even a compliment in some cases. After all, isn't it what some people use to call self-assured, in control, women? I guess the common presence of it in the American society and especially the media lulled me (censorship in the media is pretty tight here, so if you can hear that word on national TV it can't be that bad, can it?) because God knows in my language it's such an offensive word, you're risking a slap in the face if you use it. And if you do, you're showing yourself to be really low class. And you would never ever hear it on national TV (or any TV for that matter). It's right up the C word alley. Anyway, we had an interesting discussion about that word here at FSU some time ago and after a while it did sink in and change my view about it. So maybe instead of getting defensive, maybe you could try giving it some thought? I wasn't chastising you, I was trying to make you think.

I'm gay, too... and I call him Gay Claiken. And Kelly Clarkson is not fat... although you just called her that.

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There's a difference between stating someone's gay, fat, etc. and changing their name to make an insult or a joke with that word. It's immature. That's for Gaiken. As for Gay Claiken, you have to ask yourself why you have to mention his sexual orientation every time you say his name. I don't think about you as Gay Jayar every time I see you post, but that's me. As for Kelly, yes, I happen to think she's fat. As many other people do. But that wasn't the point. Changing someone's name using one of their characteristics (real or perceived) to make an insult or a joke was.

There's a difference between stating someone's gay, fat, etc. and changing their name to make an insult or a joke with that word. It's immature. That's for Gaiken. As for Gay Claiken, you have to ask yourself why you have to mention his sexual orientation every time you say his name. I don't think about you as Gay Jayar every time I see you post, but that's me. As for Kelly, yes, I happen to think she's fat. As many other people do. But that wasn't the point. Changing someone's name using one of their characteristics (real or perceived) to make an insult or a joke was.

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You aren't like the rest of the world who refers to me as Gayar? Really?

You aren't like the rest of the world who refers to me as Gayar? Really?

If Kelly Clarkson is fat, I want to be that fat.

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I have never seen you referred to a "Gayar" in any post. If you were I hope a ton of people objected.

Calling someone fat who is clearly overweight (I didn't even recognize her at first last night) is not the same as mocking someone for his/her sexual orientation. But if you want to be that overweight, go for it. And if you want to think slurs about gays are acceptable, maybe you should keep them to yourself.